Handle With Care
by Morbid Dreamer
Summary: Is it possible to pick the peices up from a broken soul and put them back together again? Just how fragile could one person truly be..? SasuNaru Shounen ai. Angst angst angst. Summaries are not my friends..
1. Tainted Desire

A/N: Hehe.. we'll here I am, back for another round! Welcome to my uh..-counts on fingers- 5th fanfiction peice ever! My first Naruto one though. n.n First off I will say that this is a SHOUNEN-AI/YAOI fic, meaning there is boy x boy love involved. If this bothers you or anything in that manner, please don't flame me.. I did warn you. Second bit of information is that this is a bit OC from the anime SL and settings, yes my friends..Gaara's a nice guy after all. Last, I despise Sakura with every last inch of my being.. so there may be some bashing in later chapters. Sorry! Well anyway.. flames will be used to cook my dinner so..give it your best shot. xx; I know I'm a sucky writer.. well here it is guys. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: Do I look rich? Ppht. Yeah, didn't think so. Naruto dosen't belong to me.

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Handle With Care

Anime: Naruto

Chapter 1: Twisted Desire

Author: Morbid Dreamer

Rating: M( MA possibly later x3)

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Uzumaki Naruto woke up to the faint pitter-patter of rain as it fell against his rooftop. Blue eyes gradually opened, adjusting themselves to the lighting of the room momentarily before he pushed himself out of the comfort of his bed. A drowsy yawn escaped his throat as he walked towards the window, pushing back his curtains to let the dim-grey light outside fill the darkness in the room. A hand came up, ruffling the back of his already unruly hair,thinking as he silently watched the people below. A mother hurried two excited children into the safety of a building, a man checked his watch as he hurried down the street, briefcase in hand. It was a typical scene for a city..an everyday occurance..and yet when he gave it deep thought it always tended to make him...mad? Jealous? Hell if he knew what it was..it was just a thing he didn't seem to like,no matter how many times he saw it. Well.. he really didn't like people, so one could guess his thoughts were understandible. Sighing heavily, he turned away from the window scene to the open air of his empty apartment, taking it all in before he began the daily task of preparing himself for the day ahead.

--

Finishing off his routine morning cup of ramen, he tossed it casually into a nearby trashcan as he walked up the steps towards the school. It was the beginning of a new year, his final year to be exact, and despite he'd rather burn the fucking place down than step in there again, he swallowed it down for now. Walking in, those curious blue eyes scanned all the faces that were about, some he knew..some he didn't...and others he probably could have lived longer never seeing again. Fighting the heavy urge to turn and walk away from there, he shoved his hands down into the orange jacket drapped over his shoulders and proceeded on down the hallway. Not many people acknoweldged his presence, but those who did didn't seem to approve of it. Not a friendly word was uttered his way, not even a friendly look, just a few scowls and whispers here and there, nothing he hadn't been through before. His eyes focused on the schedule slip infront of him, his mind determined not to loose his temper..not this early in the year at least. He glanced up occasionally, checking room numbers posted over doorways as he passed until he arrived at the one designated for him.

Warding eyes followed the boy as he walked in making his way over to sit down in a seat near the back, a few of the girls moving away from him, deeming him 'too close' to their personal space for their comfort. He shot that group of girls a rather icy glare before he laid his head down upon the cool wood on the top of his desk, shoving his books to the side as he closed his eyes, attempting not to care that so many eyes were sat upon him. His akward moment of silence didn't last long however as a the pitter of approaching footsteps followed by a familar voice rang through his ears, immediately shifting his thoughts.

" Naruto-kun?", Hyuuga Hinata, his dearest friend, stood before him, her lavender eyes gleaming and the first smile he'd seen directed towards him plastered onto her features. He couldn't help but to smile at her.. no matter how bad he was feeling, he'd always offer a smile to this girl. She was the only one he thought he could truly smile at, anyway.

"Ohayo, Hinata-chan", he said through a grin, scooting over slightly so she could sit into the seat next to him if she so well pleased. She nodded her head to him in gratitude and took the seat offered for her, shifting and adjusting until she made herself quite comfortable. Satisfied, she turned her attention back to her blonde-haired friend.

"I'm happy that you decided to come back to this school again this year..I was worried you would leave and not tell me...I thought you might have..", she trailed off from the rest of her sentence, her eyes glossing over wiith hints of sadness at just the thought of him leaving her alone. Naruto blinked, his head cocking to the side slightly as he took in all her facial expressions before he smiled softly, raising a hand to place upon her shoulder in a sense of reasurrance.

"You really think I'd do that to you? Oh how little faith you have in me! I'm hurt, Hinata..",a teasing pout was placed on his lips as he jokingly gave the girl a light shove. The frown she had faded almost as quickly as it had come, her aura all together brightening at his contact it would seem. She let out a light giggle, her cheeks flushing the lightest tint of pink as Naruto laid his head upon her shoulder, looking up at her with those brilliant blue eyes, that puppy-dog pout still running jokingly across his lips. This was a side of him that honestly was a rare sight. A burst of laughter caught both of their attention as the final member of their three-person table came up to the pair.

" Oy, Naruto-baka, you keep making those faces like that and one of those days its going to get stuck that way. And then where would you be? Hm?" , the quirky red head stated, slinging his bag atop the table before he too sat down in the open seat next to Naruto. The blonde turned to him, his pout changing to a look of aggrivation as he stuck his tounge out at the newcomer before flashing a half-smile.

"Do you always have to pick on me, Gaara-kun?", another cocky smirk played on his face as he folded his arms across his chest, his weight shifting to make himself comfortable by leaning against the back of his chair. He ran a finger across the base of the unusual amount of eyeliner he wore, making sure it was all nice and even before he turned his attention back to Naruto. Gaara was weird like that.

" Hey if I didn't then who would, huh? Someone has to keep you guys in line. Anyway..you seem unusually happy for this to be the first day of school. You sick again or something?" Naruto chuckled at his comment, shaking his head in response.

" No no, nothing like that. Like you said though, it _is _the first day, so might as well start it off right." Garaa blinked at his response before shrugging it off as he tended to do. His eyes wandered from Naruto, to Hinata, to something that seemed to catch his interest atop of Naruto's pile of books. Picking up the item of interest, a folder, he flipped it open and began to scan across the pages of information held within. Alot of mandatory school documents, nothing important..not to him anyway.

" Well if you're all serious about 'starting things right', then you may want to turn that in. ", he bluntly stated, tossing the folder of student registration forms back to Naruto then pointing towards the instructor desk positioned at the front of the room," You might want to go put that with the rest of the student shit, you know how pissed Iruka-sensei gets if he has to wait on us to do anything..and since this our last year, I'm sure he'll be extra pissy for a while."

"Hai..guess thats true. Arigatou." Naruto said, rubbing a hand across his cheek as he thought, fingers grazing over the almost whisker-like scars a few times before he stood up. He would swear sometimes if it wasn't for Hinata and Gaara looking out for him that his head would fall off his shoulders. Carefully walking past Hinata's chair, he began to walk down the stair-like bases that all the desks sat on, opening the folder himself now as he checked through the information one last time before he would turn it in. He didn't notice the whispers that were rising as he approached, the foot that was stuck out to harm him, until it was all too late. Catching the side of his shoe with another's, he fell. His arm slung out instinctively infront of him in hope to catch himself, but it proved to be in vain as the feeling of slick tile flooring came into hard contact with the right side of his face, his body crashing to follow soon after. He laid there momentarily, his eyes focusing back from the white that the hard blow had caused in his vision, his senses also re-aligning to catch the roar of laughter that now flowed about the class room. Wincing, he pushed himself up, Hinata frantically coming to his side to aid him, questioning his well being.

" You're a tad clumsy today. You should watch yourself, dobe. " a low, devious voice to his left stated, lightly taping the foot that had tripped the blonde up and down in his clearing view as he scooped up the folder that had been dropped. Uchiha Sasuke. His tormenter from well.. as far back as he remembered stared down in sheer amusement, blue, almost black orbs gleaming with the arrorgance and self-pride he held over the boy before he redirected his attention to the folder in his hand. " Hm.. well lets see what you've got for me today." His fingers laced through the information, glancing over it briefly before he would crumple it up and throw it across the room.

"Hey!" Naruto snapped, lightly pushing Hinata to his side before he ran foward at Sasuke, taking a fistfull of his collar in one hand and pulling his folder away with the other. " What the fuck do you think you are doing!", he barked, eyes flaring in a pulse of rage towards the taller boy. Sasuke smirked, calmly standing to his feet and gaining at least a foot over Naruto's height which pretty much dimished the placed threat. Almost in a flash and with little to no effort, Sasuke grabbed Naruto's wrist, twisting it around to harshly be pinned against his back as the blonde again met the floor with his face, his body being held in position with the weight Sasuke had put upon his back with his knee placement.

" Careful, dobe. You wouldn't want me to add another scar to your fucked up face, would you?", he grinned, seeming to find some sort of sick pleasure from the situation, a look of control glossing his eyes over as he ran a finger across one of the facial scars on his 'captive'. He twisted Naruto's hand further behind his back, causing the boy to reluctantly let out a cry, the feeling of pressure on his bones growing tight and quite painful for anyone to stand. Naruto watched out of the corner of his eye as a few of Sasuke's 'friends' grabbed the folder finishing Sasuke's intentions, shredding papers and throwing it around the room like confetti used for a party. Some fucking party this turned out to be. After what seemed to be an eternity, the pressure on Naruto's arm was released as Sasuke was slung backwards into a desk of flustered females, the red-haired savior glaring daggers in his direction as he stood in the space between the two boys.

" How about I fuck your face up so you can have some nice scars too?" Gaara spat angerly at Sasuke, who was getting back on his feet with the help of the females he had not-too-kindly crashed into. The two remained there in the hush that had fallen over the class, Sasuke of course breaking it as a low chuckle emerged from his throat a hand running back through his raven locks before he walked foward, back towards the boy who had ruined his fun.

" You really want to start something with me, freak?"

"Only if you're willing to finish it, pretty boy." Another laugh. Gaara's hands clentched, turning his knuckles white as his eyes narrowed in a deadly stare towards Sasuke. He was really crawling under his skin.

"G-Gaara..! Stop. " , Gaara blinked, snapping back to a calm reality as he looked to the hand tugging at his sleeve then to its blonde haired owner who was wiping away at a small trace of blood on his lower lip. "Just..stop. He's not worth it, just let it go.." Gaara blinked, a bit confused before he turned back to the boy infront of him. Sasuke watched Naruto momentarily, a look of amused interest reforming his expression as his arms folding across his chest, his body leaning on the side of a nearby desk for support.

"Yeah you better listen to him, freak. You'll just have to survive the humiliation of an ass-kicking if you don't. "

" What did you say!"

"Gentlemen, is there some sort of problem here?" , all attention in the room turned immediately converted, their teacher finally making his presence known. A few of the students scattered from the ring that had formed around the scene, frantically scampering back to their assigned chairs as the teacher calmly walked in, eyes scanning over the entirity of the classroom before they rested on the four remaining bodies in the aisle of the desks.

"Heh.. no problem at all sensei, I was just helping Uzumaki here with a few questions he had. Thats all. ", a few of Sasuke's friends chuckled and mumbled as he took his seat as well. Iruka eyed him unsurely before he turned his attention back to Naruto..who anyone could see wasn't in the best of his well-being at this point. It wasn't uncommon though.. Naruto was one of the few pupils he had that would actually suprise him if he didn't come to class with some sort of fresh wound to his body.

" Uzumaki? Is this true?", he questioned bluntly, obviously playing Sasuke's comment to see if truth was to it or not. There was a silence between teacher and pupil for a moment, Naruto's eyes scanning the floor in thought, almost as if he was looking for the answer to be printed there for him to read.

" Hai.. hai, Iruka-sensei. Everything's...fine.." his eyes never met with Iruka's as he spoke, he merely turned away and headed back to his little corner of sanctuary in the room, Gaara and Hinata murmuring their apologies as well before following. Sasuke watched Naruto closely, lightly tapping his arm to gain his attention as he passed by his seat.

"We'll finish our little talk later ne, Uzumaki?", dark intentions were well hidden behind a friendly smile as the raven haired boy left his conversation at that,resuming his usual social 'roles' in class as he turned to a few nearby girls, immediately causing them to explode in a fit of giggles and other flirty noises. Naruto watched him, eyes narrowing as a look of resentment burned in his pupils before he quietly sat back down. Iruka frowned in disapproval of Naruto's response, but he didn't push it any further. Gathering up his teaching materials, he proceeded to begin class as if nothing had happened. Naruto sighed heavily, his head lowering to rest against the desk

--

Lockers slammed and feet shuffled as the final bell for school let students retreat back to their homes for the night. All but one, that is. Uzumaki Naruto leaned against the locker room door which lead out to those crowded halls, his eyes scanning the semi-dark room blankly as he listened to the rampage that was literally feet from him. He didn't want to face them, not after the humiliation this morning , so he would hide away. He would stay here until they cleared out and he could calmly and safely make it home. Noone ever came in here after school, unless they absolutely needed to. He felt he was secure for a time. He cursed at himself for being this way, for being such a damn coward, but it was what he was told all his life.. so it was what he had grown to believe. He believed that everything that happened to him..he deserved, so why fight it?Why care? He stared up at the rafters of the ceiling, frowning slightly as he slid down the door to the cold concrete floor. His knees were drawn to his body, his arms drooping lazily across his legs as his head rested against the top of them. Eyes closing again, his mind began to wander away from reality like it tended to do so often.

"..what's the matter, dobe? Why are you in here all alone?", the voice seemed to come so suddenly, come out of nowhere, and quite frankly..it scared the shit out of the dazed blonde boy. His eyes snapped open, his body jerking back only to hit against the metal door behind him. Ridding himself of his current frantic state of mind, his eyes focused on the cold smirk placed on the raven haired boy kneeling infront of him which after reality hit him instantly turned his look of shock to one of a burning hatred.

"Uchiha what the fuck is your problem!", he barked angerily, pushing himself to stand and face him, his hands instinctively balling into fists as a chuckle escaped the taller boy as he stood as well.

"Problem? Why, what do you mean?", his head quirked to one side almost..innocently? Ppht. Like hell. Naruto scowled darkly, shoving past him to get away, the last thing he wanted was another round with this cocky bastard..but apparently Sasuke had other plans. He winced as taller boy grabbed his shoulder, spinning him back infront of him to hit against the wall this time. Before he could protest Sasuke had pressed his hard body against the smaller boy, preventing his escape. Naruto bit his lip as he squirmed under this new pressure, fearful and down-right disturbed that he was _this_ close to another body,a male body, and _Sasuke_ of all fucking people.

" You're lonely..aren't you Uzumaki?", Sasuke murmured, a breathy laugh warming the cool surface of his neck as he spoke. Naruto shuddered as he felt a hand rub against his thigh gradually moving to cup against the side of his face. His heart raced as he looked up into the lustful gaze of his rival, his head screaming for him to push away..but his body doing nothing to comply. He swallowed hard, his mouth finally opening to speak but that too was cut short as taller boy's lips crashed against his own, his body pressing closer as he claimed him in a hungry kiss. His eyes widened, his head now immediately taking control of all body functions as he pushed the body away from the best he could, his head jerking to the side as he tried to hide the obvious flush to his cheeks in the shadow of the room.

" What the fuck do you think you're doing! Get off of me..!" his reply was another slam to his spine into the hard concrete wall, Sasuke's hands wrapped around his arms so tightly that he was sure if he squeezed any harder, they would break.

"Don't resist me.", he spat coldly, his dark blue eyes glowering down at Naruto, showing no compassion or emotion in them. Naruto winced as Sasuke took a fistful of blonde hair, jerking his head back to claim his mouth once more in a heated kiss. Sasuke's other hand had trailed down Naruto's spine to grasp at his hips again, causing the boy to shiver a little under his caress. Naruto's mind raced, his hear pounded, he wanted to scream. Run. Beg. He wanted to do anything.. but everytime he showed even the slightest resistment, the stronger boy's actions would become more aggressive, more dominant. When the need for air arrived, Sasuke broke away from his mouth, panting for a moment before he began to plant kisses down Naruto's throat, hands wandering freely across the his body now.

"U-uchiha..onegai.. stop..", his raspy voice chocked out before swallowing hard, fhis body tensing up as he fought back the moans threatening to emerge in the back of his throat. Why was he doing this..? Sasuke hated him, everything that made him who he was.. and yet here the two were, bodies interlocked in a lustful act of sin. It wasn't right..

"..You want this."

"No..! No.. I don't.. I.. stop.."

" You're the only thing I've never been able to get..", he began, still raining soft kisses against his neck and cheeks,".. the only thing I've _wanted_..and not been able to have..and it's not going to happen."_What is he talking about! Why is he..oh Kami-sama.._ Thoughts pulsed through his mind for hours, days it seemed before he regained any sane state of mind and the ability to speak.

"No..just..just.. let me go..", Sasuke ignored the despiration behind those pleas, his head raising to glance over the boy's trembling form, humgry hands trailing up from the grasp on his hips to take a handful of his shirt, pulling at it until the cloth gave and ripped away from pale skin. Sasuke had been so prepared to take advantage of him, to make him submit to his whim, hell, he had been prepared to do whatever it took to satisfy that damn ego of his.. but Sasuke hadn't been prepared to see what this boy had hidden so well under that clothing. Scars. Literally, Naruto was covered in deep penetrating gashes, some healed..some healing..some looking unusually fresh. His eyes widened, his forceful grip on Naruto loosening enough to allow him to realize his palms were covered in a light film of a crimson substance as well. It had..seeped through his sleeve? _What the hell is this..?_ He swallowed hard his eyes focused hard on his palms for a few minutes before he summoned up the courage..or rather the nerve to look at Naruto's face. His body was slumped to one side indirectly, his head tilted as it hung in that direction as well. He wasn't sobbing, though it would seem it should as tears streamed down his flushed cheeks. No noise, no struggle, it was almost as if he had no soul, no will to do anything for himself. Realizations hitting him, Sasuke immediately withdrew from the boy several feet, the released pressure causing him to collapse to the ground in a lifeless manner. Deep blue eyes watched this broken figure for a few moments in a state of confusion and shock, filing through all the emotions pacing through his body before it all decided to land on an instinct. Run. And he did. He ran as fast as he could out of that dark room, his heart and mind racing almost at the same pace as he left that tattered figure to lay on that floor, alone.

He remembered finally sobbing aloud, finally giving into the shame he felt inside of him after he came to the dazed realization that he had been left alone again. He felt the stinging sensations in his upper body protest to every movement he attempted to make, every shift to push himself back up off the floor. So he didn't move..what would it matter? He deserved to be hurt.. he deserved the pain that coarsed through his body..he deserved it all. His eyes closed as a solem breath escaped his parched lips, his mind trailing through the physical and mental pain before it all drifted off. The last thing he remembered was rain. The sound of rain that had awoken him this morning now lulled him back into a peaceful state of slumber, once more allowing him to escape the reality he so despised.

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A/N: Whew.. not where I wanted to leave off but it will do. x.x;; Is it horrible? Did you hate it?Forgive me! Well..I guess theres not much else tosay. Sorry for the cliffhanger andIshall update soon,I promise! Toodles!

-Morbid Dreamer


	2. Confusion, Confrontation, and ramen?

A/N: Back for another shot guys! xD First off, I want to thank the three people who took the time to review my story, I'm sure you know how much an author appreciates it when they get positive/constructive feedback from people who actually took time to read what they have done.Thank you! Below are responses to what you guys said.

**Quixotically: **First off, thank you a whole bunch! My first chapter.. I didn't spellcheck, proofread (Well.. I tried but you know how that goes), nor did I have a beta reader. I did for this chapter however reference back to your review! I kept checking and seeing if I messes up, although I probably still did. You helped me a bunch, and you were my first review, so much thanks! Oh, and your FMA story is really good. oo; I envy your writing talents. Thanks for reviewing me again!

**loser81: **You know, I found your review ironic. I'm actually in the process of writing out an angsty one shot about Sasuke and Naruto,_ lots_ different than the usual 'happy ever after' ending. This story (HWC)will be long, and I don't plan to throw Sasuke and Naruto together in the first few chapters, I too do grow tired of that in fanfictions. However, I also do adore the SasuNaru pairing, hence the story, so they will end up together..eventually. Happy or not? You'll just have to wait and see!

**Hiei Girl 003:** So very sorry for not updating sooner! I'll try to get my chapters up sooner than this one. I couldn't figure out how to start this one exactly, thats why it took a bit longer. Thanks for reviewing!

Well, now thats all said and done, it's time to get on with the show! Here's the second chapter to Handle With Care. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: ... still not rich. Naruto's still not mine.

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Handle With Care

Anime: Naruto

Chapter 2: Confusion, Confrontation, and Ramen?

Author: Morbid Dreamer

Rating: M

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Naruto's common logic told him that he was still face down on that cold floor, still drowning in his own self-pity like the fool he was, yet his thoughts were wrong for once. Not the floor, but the comfort of a bed greeted him when he awoke this time. Infact, he realized it was his own bed after giving it a few extra moments to sink in. It was dark now.. so apparently he had been out for a while. He rolled over to peer into the seemingly empty room of his,thoughts working double-time in attempts to recall all that had happened. He swallowed hard, his eyes closing tightly as hands balled into fists that grasped the bed sheets. Sasuke.. _his_ hands on his body.. _his_ lips brushing against his skin.. Sasuke had.. _touched_ him.. but.. _why..?_ Sasuke of all people..Sasuke, the boy who could have any girl or _guy_ he wanted, had picked him to fucking harass.. and Naruto had _let_ him do it. He hadn't put up any sort of fight at all..he was going to let that bastard do whatever he wanted to him..the thought itself was disgusting.

_"You're lonely..aren't you Uzumaki?" _

He visually shuddered in his blanket cocoon, almost sure he could still feel Sasuke's heated breath on his neck as those words kept pounding in his head. Had he.. enjoyed it? Not the act of course.. just the attention. The feeling to be desired by someone, the feeling to be wanted. Was that why he didn't try to knock his ass flat? Was he that sick? Well.. whatever happened was done and over with, and there was no sense in worrying about it.. right? Sure,that was a good explanation for the time. Pushing the comforter away from his body, Naruto sat up, a heavy breath escaping his parched lips as he ran a hand back through his hair. For the first time now, he noticed the condition of his body. Someone had changed him from his school attire, leaving him to sport nothing more than a pair of sweat pants. Someone had also taken the time to bandage the wounds on his arms and chest as well. Other than that bastard, someone had seen the shame written across his flesh. He ran a hand across the tainted purity of the bandages covering his torso, eyes saddening to a dull glaze. Rising out of his bed, he went looking for his so called 'savior' before doing anything more.

--

He grunted in the darkness, a toe stubbing against the side of a misplaced stool as he staggered through the living area. Why did he have so much random crap laying around? There was a shifting sound in the darkness, clearing up his question to if anyone was in the room with him. Getting to a lamp, he clicked it on and illuminated his surroundings. A groan came from the revealed body laying on his couch, the head burying itself in a nearby pillow as a hand rose in his direction, waving in protest to the new glow in the room.

"Hey come on," murmured a familiar voice, the hand growing weary of its waving gestures,tucked itself behind silver locks of hair. " Would you Turn the light off? I'm trying to get some rest here." Naruto blinked, a bit confused by the presence and actions of his new found guest.

"Kakashi-sensei? Why...um... are you.. on my couch?" The groggy teacher looked momentarily over his shoulder in his general direction, mumbling a bit before he turned to where he could say something audible.

"That's obvious," he started, casually rolling over to get comfortable again, " I got tired, noone was on your couch, so here I am!" He flashed the blonde a goofy smile, causing him to sigh and shake his head.

"Okay.. but that still doesn't explain why you're on **my** couch. You only live two floors down!" Kakashi stared at him for a moment, blinking almost it would seem in confusion before flashing one of those calm smiles again.

"Well I really couldn't just leave you up here by yourself. You looked pretty ruffled when I found you.. " It was funny really how Kakashi seemed to work. That goofy smile seemed to fade into a serious stare down as he spoke, the tone of his voice shifting to match his features. "What happened to you, Naruto? Did you get in a fight again?" Naruto looked away from Kakashi's piercing gaze, biting down on his lower lip as he thought of what exactly to say. He couldn't tell him the truth.. but then again he couldn't lie to him as well. Kakashi **always **seemed to know when Naruto was flat out lying. They had known each other for God knows how long, I guess it was only natural for him to know stuff like that.

" Um.. h-hai. Hai. I got.. well it really wasn't a fight.. I mean.. I just.. ", the blonde fumbled around on his words, causing Kakashi to grow irritated. Growling, he pushed himself up to sit, the book he always seemed to keep in his hand going to rest on the coffee table as his complete attention was focused on Naruto now.

"Naruto.." he grumbled, his head leaning on his palm as continued to stare him down, " Either you will tell me, or I'll find out by other means. Your choice. You telling me now would probably be alot less..messy to say the least." There was a silence in the room, Naruto shifting back and fourth uncomfortably as the impatient teacher watched his movements. The air had stiffened quite a bit before the akward tension between the two was broken by the blonde's response.

"Uchiha Sasuke.. we got into an argument after school today.. I guess I made him mad and well.. I didn't win obviously. But its..it's nothing to worry about, honestly. " Flashing the platinum haired man one of his usual sugar-coating smiles, Naruto converted his stance, still knowing that Kakashi was staring a hole into his back. He walked away from the man, taking a seat in a chair across the table from him. "..arigatou, Kakashi-san. I'd.. probably still be at school if you didn't find me." A full out laugh emerged from Kakashi's body, his hand swiping a few strands of silver away from his dual-colored eyes before he stood to his feet, stretching briefly then making his way toward the kitchen.

"Of course you'd still be there," Kakashi said ,stifling another laugh as he began to shuffle through the contents of Naruto's cabinets. "Not alot of people go around looking for unconscious people in locker rooms. You're just lucky I came by there when I did...and do you not have anything besides ramen here? Geez.. no wonder you're getting so fat. Noodles aren't good for you. "

"Hey! I'm not getting fat! I'm perfectly healthy!" Naruto barked back, standing up as well as he followed his teachers steps into his kitchen. Kakashi grinned and chuckled again, pulling out a couple of instant ramen cups. Grabbing the little teapot nearby, he filled it with water and sit it on the lit burner to let it heat.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night, Naruto. "

" I'm **not** fat, Kakashi!" he flailed his arms in a childish manner before replacing an angry scowl with a pout, his body slumping as he fell back into a kitchen chair. Kakashi turned to look at him, a genuine smile playing his features as he leaned against the countertop. This was the Naruto he had watched grow up. The happy child-like boy who had not a care in the world, this was the _real_ Naruto. This was the Naruto.. that wasn't generally around anymore. Time had taken him and reshaped him into the sad, lonely face that was his usual side now. Kakashi partially blamed himself for this, for not paying more attention to Naruto through the years. His mother dying, his father well.. he wouldn't go into that The boy had been through so much, far more than someone his age should have been so early in life at least. Kakashi's smile diminished as his mind wandered from the past to now, his eyes moving across the blonde's battered body. Though most of it was covered by the bandaging job Kakashi had done himself, the older scars had been left for all to see. His mouth opened to say something about it, but was immediately interrupted by the sharp whistling sound coming from the boiling water in the teapot. This caught Naruto's attention as well, his puffy cheeks deflating as his eyes moved from whatever he was looking at to the new source of sound in the room.

"Ah! Looks like the waters done!" Naruto said with a chipper tone, oblivious to the tense darkness Kakashi was giving off. He clapped his hands togeher and grinned, "Almost time to eat now! .. if I'm not too fat that is." He glanced over at Kakashi and stuck his tounge out at the man, causing him to chuckle faintly once more.

"You let yourself get too worked up too quickly, you know that?" Kakashi rose, making his way over to the teapot, removing it from the heat and pouring the steaming water into the contents of the insulated ramen cups. Resealing the temporary paper lids, he shifted the cups back and fourth to move the water about to moisten all of the dehydrated food. After that 'long' three minute waiting period, Kakashi peeled back the lid on one of the cups, glancing it over before sitting it on the table infront of the boy. " Here..just think of it as an early breakfast? Or maybe a late lunch?"

"Atwhatever time it isin the morning? Yeah, whatever you say." Naruto said sarcasticly, rolling his eyes at the taller man before reaching behind him and grabbing the pair of chopsticks on the counters edge. Kakashi soon joined him at the table as the two proceeded to eat ramen..in silence..at one in the morning. A slupr or two was heard from Naruto's direction every so often, indicating that he truly was enjoying his late night snack, but that was about all the noise that flourished in the room.

"So are you ready to tell me what really happened now, Naruto?", Kakashi said, practically out of nowhere, his eyes gradually shifting to look in his direction. Naruto made a choking noise before he decided it was a good idea to actually swallow his ramen before he tried to speak. He returned Kakashi's glance in a sutle gaze before looking down into his cup, apparently finding them much more interesting now.

"I told you all there was to say, Kakashi-sensei. We got into a fight and he roughed me up a bit."

"Liar.", Kakashi said in a rather flat tone, leaning a hand on the arm that rested upon the table. "You take me for a fool or something? I thought you knew better.."

"I'm not lying!" Naruto snapped, slamming his hands down on the table as he stood to his feet. "Why do you have such a problem with believing me! It's the truth!"

"I have a problem believing you because you're not telling me what I want to hear. And what about **those**?" Kakashi snapped back coldly this time as he grabbed Naruto's wrist, bringing his scarred arm up for both of them to clearly see as he stood to face the boy. " Did Sasuke do_ this _too? God Naruto, I thought you were past all of this.." Kakashi sighed, his eyes glowering over the wounds that he could still see around the unbandaged areas. Naruto's eyes ignited in a firey rage at those words, causing him to jerk his hand harshly out of Kakashi's grasp.

"Why do you start caring all of the sudden! Why now! You don't care what the hell happens to me! None of you give a damn! You don't have to feel obligated to take care of me! Just.. go fucking take care of yourself Kakashi! Leave me alone!" Naruto stormed past the stunned teacher, growling under his breath as he fought back the tears that were threatening to fall. He stopped not far from where he had started though, his body tensing sharply as he felt a strong arm drape across his shoulders in a concerned manner, he supposed. It wasn't really a hug..more or less just an action, a movement to show the lonely boy some sense of comfort from the elder man. Naruto swallowed hard, his head hanging from sight, almost sure now that those tears would spill over any moment.

"Naruto.." Kakashi said, his voice low and soothing as he looked down at the boy from behind. "..gomen nasai, Naruto. If it upsets you so, I won't force you to tell me what happened between Sasuke and you. And I..shouldn't have said what I did.. it came out wrong. I do care, Naruto.. you should know by now thats true. I don't like seeing you in this condition.. thats why I spoke out. It wasn't my place to do so though.. forgive my ignorance." Kakashi paid attention to the boy fully, watching, hoping for any sign of a response.

"Kakashi... onegai...just.. leave.." Naruto said to the man, barely above a whisper. A bit stunned by his rejection, Kakashi respected the boy enough to comply with his wishes. Releasing him without a word, he returned to the kitchen, cleaning up the mess that was left and a few other things so Naruto wouldn't have to do it himself. A heavy sense of guilt ran across Kakashi, guilt and anger with himself for being that stupid. He should have never said anything. He threw away what was left of their meal, assuming that the boy wouldn't eat anymore after that. Getting everything at least halfway clean, he started to go back and check on the boy who had disappeared to his room..but he decided best to leave him alone for the time.

"I'm leaving now, Naruto. You know where I am if you need me." Kakashi paused, almost half expecting to hear an answer from the boy..but he was only responded to with the sounds of an empty room. Sighing, he turned and made his way towards his exit. Naruto sat with his back against the door of the bathroom he had secluded himself too, his head laying against the top of his quaking knees. He was trembling, reluctant but none the less aware that Kakashi had 'opened old wounds', not to be ironic, of course. He listened to the shifting and moving about in his apartment before it dissolved away, returning to the silence he was familar with. Alone with his thoughts again, he began to wander off into the darker aspects of his mind. Those 'voices' began to come back, the ones he had actually grown familar with, they were always there after all.

--

_Kakashi dosen't care.. why the fuck should he?_

_Noone cares.._

_You don't deserve to be cared about.._

_You're noboby, a loser, a fool._

_You. Are. Nothing._

_--_

Hours seemed to pass sitting in his misery before he showed any attempts to move again. His head lifted slowly, his eyes glazed over as his mind sorted through what those voices in his head were saying, what they were telling him to do. This darkness was familiar now, he'd miss it if it were to disappear. In some aspect, it was comforting. The voices were comforting. They gave him something to ponder, even look forward to. Yes, he _desired _those voices, _needed_ them to be there. Slowly, he pushed himself up off the floor, his stance wavering slightly before he felt stable. He walked to his medicine cabinet and slid it open. There, on the top shelf, a small knife. His release. Taking it in the grasps of a quivering hand, he stared at it for a moment, almost as if he was finally reluctant of the idea of what he had been doing so long.

He pressed the blade to a bandaged area, pulling it down in a quick and percise manner, flesh and bandaging ripping together. The first new wounds were painful, but they soon grew into a dull sense of relief. New pain would end the old, or so he told himself. Gash after gash, drop after drop, a twisted grin formed underneath wicked mad blue eyes as he watched the crimson pour down his frame. A gargled laugh escaped his throat as he stumbled backwards, hitting against the tiled wall behind him. That laugh kept escaping him, the blade dropping from his grasp to the floor, his body sliding against the wall he fell against until he was on that floor as well. Empty tears streaked down his face as he ran a hand across his newly carved torso, fingers digging into the wounds as they grazed past them. Fuck Kakashi.. he didn't need his pity.. and it was none of his business what Naruto did. Besides.. it wasn't like he had a bloodlust or anything like that. No, he was in _full_ control of his situations. Everything was fine.. what he did was okay.. His eyes traveled away from his body to the window after he had taken it all in once more. Dawn was leaking across the horizon, morning had come to taunt him once again. His hell was preparing to start all over again..

--

_Not a whisper, not a cry_

_Just stand right there and watch me die_

_One more drop, one more tear_

_One more gash for you my dear_

_The wounds won't heal_

_The pain unreal_

_A reality only I will feel_

_But don't you worry,_

_Why won't you see?_

_That I won't beg, _

_No I won't plea_

_So stand right there_

_But don't you cry_

_Just stand right there_

_And watch me die_

--

A/N: xD;; Don't make fun of my crappy poetry! xD I felt like it needed something extra at the end since this chapter was shorter than my last one. o.o; Also, I picked Kakashi over Iruka just..because I like him better. xD Gomen ne. Iruka fans! I alsodidn't mean to make it sound so KakaNaru either. xD;; Its' not, just for everyone's reassurance. This chapter is pretty much just another character development chapter for Naruto's character in this story, since he is OOC and not following the traditional anime SL. The next chapter will be for a Sasuke character development and then.. plot development! Dun dun dun.

..review me? xD I love hearing from you guys. Until next time!

-Morbid Dreamer


	3. The Other Side of 'Perfect'

A/N: I hurried right along with this one! xD I wanted to wait until later to upload this.. but I just couldn't help myself! I was inspired.. I wrote.. so here it is! And this chapter is long! Yay! Oh! I also did a bit of concept art for my story incase anyone wants to see. It's posted on my deviantart account which you may access from my user page. This story is on there as well. Anyway..yay! Up to nine reviews! Thanks everyone! Below are my review responses.

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**Quixotically:** I'm glad you liked the last chapter and didn't think that the KakaNaru impliments were a little weird. And you actually thought my poetry was..decent? xD Wow! Thats awesome. Thank you so much.. and I'm glad I give you a nice way to slack off from school duties. ;P

**Ky0Kichi:** Hehe.. glad you like it so far. ;3 I like my angsty bishounen. Thanks for reading though!

**Hiei Girl 003:** Well here's your update in record time! xD Haha.

**loser81:** I plan to keep Sasuke the same cold bastard he is for quite some while.. and I know what you mean about the 'happily ever after' endings all over the place. Glad you like it so far though!

**yumemiru: **Yes yes.. poor Na-chan! Hopefully things will get better.. and thanks for the favorite!

**psychotic KAT:** Yeah, Sasuke deserves a beating indeed. Well, this chapter might make you feel a little better about that. xD

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Well it's time to get along with my chapter again.. oh and incase if anyone gets confused about what's going on, this chapter takes place **at the same time as chapter 2**, this is just from Sasuke's side of the story. Probably error packed.. but I got tired of waiting on my beta reader. Erm..well read, review, and enjoy! Happy early Halloween to everyone!

Disclaimer: Still not mine.. Naruto belongs to Kishimoto-sama.

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Handle With Care

Anime: Naruto

Chapter 3: The Other Side of 'Perfect'

Author: Morbid Dreamer

Rating: M

--

Sasuke leaned against the bricked wall just outside of the high school that he had fled from so quickly. Deep breaths heaved in and out of his chest, his eyes glancing back to see if for some reason someone had followed him. No one was there. Deep in his throat, a growl escaped the raven haired boy as he pushed himself away from his obtained resting place. Fuck.. what had just happened? He had watched Uzumaki as he slipped away from the masses into the locker room. He followed, a strange mix of lust and vengeance fueling his rage to get even with their earlier encounter. Then he just _had_ to ruin it.. he just _had_ to see those marks all over the smaller boys frame. His damn conscience had to pick just _then_ to kick in. He brought a hand up to his heavy chest, feeling his heart rate slow as his breathing began to calm. Fuck! He hated Uzumaki! Just the mention of his name sent his blood into boils, so why the fuck did he run away like that. God damn that Uzumaki..

"Sasuke-kun!" Came a chipper voice, breaking the boy away from his anger. Looking towards the cause for noise, he saw two figures bounding towards him. The pink figure reached him first, almost immediately latching herself onto a free arm. "Oh Sasuke-kun! Where were you after school? You were supposed to spend time with us tonight! "

"Yeah yeah!" the blonde yelped as she caught up, latching herself onto his other arm. " You shouldn't try to ditch us like that!" Sasuke blinked, glancing from girl to the other before he sighed deeply, his eyes rolling in aggravation.

"Well shouldn't you inform **me** when you make plans?" Sakura laughed aloud at his comment, the grip on his arm growing a bit tighter. Sasuke had known Sakura for..well god only knows how long. For as long as he could remember anyway..and she still annoyed the hell out of him. Sure, sometimes the girl was tolerable, almost human, but most of the time.. he felt the desite to throw her infront of a speeding vehicle. He falsed a smile for show, causing the girls to bounce excitedly before they began to tug him along down the street. Growling deeply, Sasuke complied with the girls actions..for right now it seemed like the _safest_ idea anyway. Completely ignoring his question, the girls continued to drag the annoyed boy along with them like a pet. Sasuke didn't seem to pay it much mind, after all this was a pretty normal thing for someone who apparently had fanclubs throughout every school in their district. Oh well..maybe this would clear his mind.

"First we can go get ice cream..then maybe to the park..oh and a movie would be nice!" _God.. do all girls think about the **exact** same things?_ Sasuke thought, remembering just how many times he had heard this sort of conversation before. Ino broke his thoughts, lightly tugging on his sleeve to gain his attention.

"Sasuke-kun! I saw that little fight you had with Naruto this morning!"

Sasuke felt his heart jump into his throat.

"Yeah, I heard you showed that loser who was boss!"Sakura added happily, both apparently not noticing the tension that rose in Sasuke's body when Naruto had been brought into the conversation. They _did_ however notice Sasuke's silence, his lack of soaking in their praise. Well..not like he did it much anyway. But usually with fights and stuff, he was one to take up any boosting of confidence. A bit puzzled, Ino was again the first to speak.

"Sasuke-kun? Daijoubu ka? " He sneered a bit at her comment, his eyes glaring up at the sky for a moment before he responded to their 'concerns'. He was unusually on edge today. Bah..

"Hai, Ino. I'm fine." he said in a rather flat ,cold tone. The blonde haired girl frowned in disapproval of Sasuke's actions, hating to see him in such a familiar state of being. Before they got any further into her inquiry, Sakura had drug the trio into the ice cream parlor, their 'first stop'. Sighing with relief of getting away from the topic, Sasuke shook the girls away from him and walked towards the counter where he was greeted by a rather chipper attendant. His eyes glanced over the colored variety of choices, not that he'd be ordering of course. The girls ordered something called a 'Meltdown Mudslide', something for _all_ of them to share _together_. It was kinda funny how desperate people got sometimes. Watching them momentarily fumble in their purses, the boy shrugged it off to claim himself a booth near the window. Those blue, almost black eyes of his searched the darkening heavens, the threat of rain inevitable on a day like this. He enjoyed the rain though, it was calming.. unlike his company that came crashing to the appointed table with a mound of ice cream that would feed a family of five for a week. Sakura was the first of the girls to act, jumping slightly as she ducked into the empty space beside Sasuke in the booth. For a moment, the look in the blonde girls eyes was so intense, even Sasuke felt a slight twinge of jealousy from it before she cooled and sat across from the two.

"Umee!" Sakura clapped happily, her small frame bouncing up and down in the seat next to him as she fumbled to get the three spoons out of their napkin cocoons. "This looks great, Ino! You can sure choose it well!" Ino flashed the girl a toothy grin, flipping a few strands of blonde behind a shoulder before picking up the spoon given to her.

"Well what can you expect? I am the best at everything, that includes choices!" She waved her spoon over her head almost in a triumphant manner before shoving it down into the mounds of chocolate and vanilla, Sakura giggling before she was at that point as well. Sasuke however.. was all ready greeted with a headache from the giddy girls, and they hadn't even been together for 30 minutes yet! God this was going to be one hell of an afternoon. He closed his eyes as he rubbed the sides of his temples with his fingertips gently, attempting to message the stress away. And just _why_ had he come along on this little outing? Oh.. right. He had no choice in the matter. Good thing Sasuke was such a people person and everything. _Hah_. Sasuke turned his attention back to the bouncing pink ball of energy next to him as she lightly poked his upper arm with a free spoon.

"Aren't you gonna eat with us? Thats the reason we got so much..and chocolate is your favorite!"she said with a smile as she grabbed Sasuke's wrist, placing the spoon his his open palm. Convenient that she knew what his favorite flavorings were. Convienant..and kinda creepy. Just to keep the masses happy, he ignored the pounding in his head as he slowly dug his spoon into the now melting mountain, Sakura and Ino both apparently approving as they watched him eat. _Crreeppyy_. The trio ate in silence, silnetly munching away as those foreboding clouds hanging over head finally emersed in a dounpour.

"Sooo... Sasuke-kun..", Sakura hummed, twirling her spoon around into the sweet mess. " What exactly _did_ happen in that fight with you and Naruto this morning? I only heard about it.. I wasn't there to witness it, like Ino." Sakura plowed her spoon into the ice cream as a temporary resting spot, her eyes lighting up as she turned towards Sasuke, eagerily awaiting a story as some child would. He frowned, his eyes moving away from the girl to suprisingly a few more eyes that were watching him from another corner of the store. For God's sake, he felt like some sort of side attraction. He could charge admission for this..

"Sakura.." He began, sighing as he closed his eyes to ignore the questioning gazes from everywhere. " There's nothing to talk about. Uzumaki was being a fuck up as usual so.. I took care of it. "

"Yeah, you better believe he did!" Ino yelled as she stood up, clentching her fists. "He knocked that fool flat on his face! Pow!" She punched around her in the air, apparently trying to intensify the depth of their conversation. "Uzumaki never stood a chance against our boy!" Sakura laughed aloud, clapping her hands cheerfully at Ino's 'performance art'. Sasuke however, didn't find it quite as amusing. He had about enough of these two together that he could take.

"Sakura, move. I need to leave."

"Eh!" ,she yelped out, quirking her head to the side in a confused manner. "But.. but why! We just got here! And its so early in the day.. and and...Onegai! Don't go, Sasuke-kun! "

"I forgot something. I have to go. " Sasuke stood to his feet, eyeing the flustered pink ball of energy until he made her uncomfortable enough to respond to his request. Ino stood to her feet following, stepping out of the booth at the same time he had.

"Matte! Are you coming back? I mean, can we call or anything?"

"No, I'll be busy." Sasuke said with little to no concern in his voice as he left the two stunned girls where they stood. Ino stared in the direction he had exited before clenching her fists, growling under her breath as she turned to face Sakura.

" This is all your fault!" She said, pointing a finger in her direction. A few people stopped eating and turned to look at the loud girl. " If you had let **me** sit down beside him, he would have stayed longer!"

"ME?" Sakura snapped, slamming her hands on the table as she stood to face the blonde. " If you would stop talking for five minutes and give the guy some peace, he wouldn't get so damn irritated so easily!"

"Keh.. I bet he got scared by that big forehead of yours." Ino said grinning as she poked her pointing finger into the top of Sakura's brow. The pink haired girl shot Ino an icy stare, quickly slapping her hand away from her face.

"Or it could be because you're such an ugly pig!"

"What did you say!"

"U-G-L-Y P-I-G!" Sakura sung as she waved her body back in fourth in a mocking manner.

"Forehead!"

"Pig!"

_'Fucking girls.. why did they have to be so annoying?'_

Sasuke took his time getting home despite that it had began to rain. He didn't care..not like there was much to hurry home to anyway. He had taken the long way home this time, giving himself that extra hour to his thoughts.He shoved his hands into his pockets, squishing about the wet fabric until he was comfortable. He was relieved that he had left, soo very relieved. He would've snapped on those girls..and he wasn't quite sure why. He was really tense..which wasn't him at all. He was Sasuke! _Uchiha Sasuke. _He wasn't supposed to be anything but happy. That's what everyone else said, anyway. Frowning as he turned the corner, he finally came up to the large gates that guarded the entrance to his rather large home. Rich, gorgeous, _and _happy? Oh yeah. Sasuke just had it all. He contemplated on the thought of going in for a moment, his eyes scanning across the dark windows of his home for signs of life. Seeing nothing, he pressed the iron bars open and walked through.

The house was indeed dark, only a few dim lights placed here and there could provide any sort of eyesight. The atmosphere was depressing actually. Mentally shrugging it, Sasuke slipped his damp shoes off near the door and proceeded further into the home. He stopped infront of his living quarters, pushing the sliding doors back to reveal a slightly better lit room. His eyes scanned the silent room, falling upon a figure that was leaning against a window ceil. This woman didn't seem to notice him, a hand running back across her madded hair, the other one bringing a cigarette up to parched lips. She took a long draw off of the burning ash before her realizations set in, her dull gaze shifting to look in Sasuke's direction. She had to blink a few times, rubbing her eyes before she could fully focus on the boy.

"Sasuke? That you?" The woman fumbled on her words, pushing herself to stand and face him.

"Hai, Okaa-san. Taidama. " He walked towards the woman, staring as he took in her features. For such a wealthy woman, she was quite unkept. Her hair was in madded clumps, her skin pale , her face without any makeup, it was quite strange for someone of her stature. She shot him a crooked smile, her legs quivering and buckling as she made her way towards her son. Sasuke noticed when her legs buckled out, darting foward quickly to catch her, the stench of alcohol stinging his nostrils almost instantly. He narrowed his eyes at the woman as she threw her arms around her sons neck, giggling.

"Almost had an accident there, didn't we?", she snickered as she looked around, grabbing the still lit cigarette that had fallen out of her hand. Taking the final drag of the bud, she tossed it in..or near the ashtray on the table and turned her attention back to Sasuke. "Okaeri! How was school? Did you have a good day? Learn anything new?" She rocked back and fourth in her son's grasp, looking up at him with a glassy gaze. He sighed as he picked her up, causing her to let out another excited laugh as they made their way towards the nearest chair. Sitting her down, he folded his arms before he spoke.

"Okaa-san.. I thought you said you were giving up on drinking." The woman looked at him, almost seeming confused before it all set in. She slapped the arm of the chair in a sense of protest, her features instantly shifting to an angry scowl for him to see.

"It's none of your business what I do!", she yelled as she threw a trinket off the nearby table in his direction, Sasuke catching it with ease. "No one's ever in this damned house with me! So why shouldn't I drink! It's not like I'm hurting anyone." She stood to her feet, slinging her arms in her defense.

"You're hurting yourself, Okaa-san."

"Shut up! I'm a grown woman, I'll do whatever the hell I wanna do!" She stumbled in her pacing, Sasuke shifting his stance once again so she would fall into his arms. She laid there in his embrace for a few moments, her face smashed against his chest in what had to be an uncomfortable position. Moving so slightly, she slowly lifted her head to look up at her son, her expression darkening suddenly. " Oh.. " she began, lifting a hand to caress the side of Sasuke's face gently, her eyes searching his features with a deep look of sadness held in them. " You look so much like my koi sometimes I can't even believe it.. so handsome.. my dear..my Ichiro-san.. " the woman continued to mumble, it eventually becoming incoherent. The hand on Sasuke's face fell limp to her side, her eyes fluttering and her head lowering as she slipped off into a state of alcoholic unconsciousness. Sasuke picked the woman up again despite being disgusted with her actions and proceeded to take her to a more appropriate resting place.

Sitting his mother in her bed, Sasuke got a cool washcloth and put it on her forehead. He hated seeing his mother in this condition..but it really couldn't be helped. It was her choice.. she choose freely to be this way..it was her temporary way of forgetting that bastard of a husband that ran off for months and months at a time doing only who knows what. Sasuke could almost say he hated his father for what he had done to his family, but that wouldn't help either. Everything that dealt with the protest of his family was pretty much pointless, so why bother? If his father didn't do what he did, they wouldn't be as well off as they were. Making sure his mother had everything she needed, Sasuke gave her bangs a light stroking before he quietly exited her room. He rubbed his forehead, his eyes focused on really nothing infront of him as he was lost in thought, completely oblivious to the body leaned against the wall literally right next to him.

"So.." the figure said, finally making himself noticed. " Okaa-san is drunk again, I presume." The sides of his mouth curled into a grin as he spoke, finding amusement as Sasuke jumped away from him, staring wide eyed before it all transformed into a familar disgusted scowl. His hands balling into fists as he turned to face his elder brother.

"Why the fuck didn't you take care of her, Itachi no baka! You know how she gets!" Itachi stared at him through those red eyes, not a trace of concern gracing his features. He simply shrugged it off, pushing himself up to meet his brothers stance.

"Wasn't my problem. Besides, you wouldn't have gotten to experience such a fun welcome home if I had interfered. "

"Fuck you, Itachi." Sasuke hissed, scoffing as he walked past his brother. Itachi followed close after, that grin still plastered across his features. He hadn't gotten his tormenting in on Sasuke yet today..so he was set to be amused for a while.

"Oh come now my dear brother, why the attitude? From what I heard, my little brother has had quite the interesting day indeed." Sasuke stopped walking, his gaze not shifting to look at Itachi but still signifying that he had caught his attention. "A dear friend said he saw you coming out of ..a locker room was it? Hai hai.. I'm sure that was it. Then.. a bit later, that silver haired teacher came out with a battered up looking kid. Hm... now what did he say his name was? Ah yes.. Uzumaki Naru-" Sasuke didn't let his brother finish blurting that name, his hands already on his throat as he shoved the taller Uchiha against the nearest wall, rattling a few pictures and light fixtures. Itachi didn't seemed phased in the least, that smile never faulting from his features. A laugh escaped him as Sasuke growled, squeezing harder on Itachi's throat.

" Don't you EVER assume you can nose into my business without my consent. Ever. You got it, Itachi? What happened was no fucking business of yours or anyone elses." God! Did everyone know what happened ? It had only been two or three hours! The pair remained in silence, a streak of lightning from a nearby window illuminated that dark hallway for a moment, just enough time to allow Sasuke to fully see the amused look playing Itachi's features. Sasuke growled deep in his throat, balling his fist at the sight, but was never allowed to use the intended force. As fast as the streak of lightning, Itachi had taken control of the situation. He grabbed ahold of the hand grasping at his throat, twisting it sharply until it was pinned against its owners back. Sasuke hissed as he felt his body be slammed face forward into the opposing wall of the hallway. Itachi grinned, using his heaver body to keep the struggling boy in his place, Sasuke eventually stilling. The taller man leaned his head to rest upon his siblings shoulder, that smile Sasuke despised still burning bright.

"Everything you do is my business, Onii-baka. _Everything._ You forget your place in this family..and you forget you are only here because I permit it." Itachi dug an elbow between Sasuke's shoulder blades, causing the boy to cry out in pain. Sneering, Itachi removed the elbow and grabbed Sasuke's face, roughly turning it to look at him. "Do you understand, Sasuke?" If looks could kill, Itachi would have been long gone. Sasuke stared with a deep, burning hatred through those ebony eyes, his temper flaring full force. Itachi however grew impatient, squeezing the face in his grasp harder. " Answer me!" Still no response. Sasuke had suceeded in something, the look he hated was gone from Itachi now. He soon figured out that he would much rather deal with that than Itahi's fist in his gut. Sasuke gasped sharply, all his breath escaping his boy at once before Itachi allowed him to collapse into a defeated heap upon the floor. "Keh.. persistant little bastard.." Itachi mumbled, glowering at his brothers fallen form before he left him, disappearing down another hallway.

Sasuke coughed a couple of times, his hand still grasping the twindging pain in his stomache as his body did its best to return his breathing to normal. Finally, the fallen boy pressed against the floor with his palms, bringing himself up to sit at the least.Being with Sakura and Ino was starting to sound pretty good right now. Wait..what? God what was he thinking? Itachi was strong.. alot stronger than Sasuke liked to admit too. Despite that.. how did Itachi know? Which one of these 'friends' saw him? Fuck.. this was all Naruto's fault. If things had went the way he wanted them to.. damn it! Damn that Naruto..Sasuke sneered through the easing pain, gently rubbing at the reddened area of his abdomen as he thought aloud.

"Naruto.. you'll pay for all of this.."

A/N: And thats a wrap! Hope you guys liked it.. now I'm off to write chapter 4! Lots of ideas for that chapter!

Review please! Make me feel loved guys..

--Morbid Dreamer


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